The Royal Ranger
by Elf Knight
Summary: Prince Will is furious! His younger sister Princess Cassandra is missing in Celtica & all his father seems to care about is some stupid war with Lord Morgorath. Determined to rescue her, Will runs away only to bump into Halt the Ranger! No Slash
1. A Dangerous Descision

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Ranger's Apprentice_ or anything therein as it all belongs to Saint John Flanagan. *bows before Saint Flanagan* Anyhow, here's this hopefully cool idea I had that sprung to mind one day. Do take note that it's set in Book 1 – The Ruins of Gorlon – and Book 2 – The Burning Bridge. It might also have parts of Book 3 in it but that's yet to be determined. Within this fanfic, Will is the Crown Prince and his sister (Cassandra/Evalyn) is captured in Celtica. Will attempts to run away to rescue her but bumps into Halt. How will the grizzled old Ranger react? What will Halt decide? Read and find out! Don't forget to comment if you like it!

**Chapter 1:** A Dangerous Decision

I was furious!

Much to my tutor's aggravation, I drummed my fingers none to quietly on the table in demonstration.

The old man sat on a high-backed chair opposite me wearing fine robes of purple and black. His bald head was crowned by a wreath of thin white hairs.

He wore no beard but it was evident that he was older in years. His eyes portrayed that.

"Prince William, _please_!" Marvin begged. "Your father will have my hide if your grades continue to droop. You must pay attention."

"Damn attention and everything to do with it!" I growled, banging a fist suddenly on the table.

Normally, I would hate to upset my private tutor as he was a kindly old man but today I was furious.

"And how many times must I tell you to refrain from calling me 'Prince William'?" I hissed in annoyance. "My name is _Will_."

"Prince or not you must persevere in your history lessons," Marvin said, his eyes flashing from frustration. "How many Rangers currently reside in Araluen?"

"Fifty!" I snapped.

"Good," Marvin smirked. "Who is the most famous out of them all and why?"

"His name is Halt," I said mechanically. "And he is famous for leading an army against Lord Morgorath. Without his help, the battalion would have been slaughtered."

"Vague, but correct," Marvin said nodding approvingly.

And so the rest of the afternoon passed as I was taught the history of Araluen amongst other things. But my heart was not with it.

My younger sister Cassandra, princess of Araluen, was missing. No one knew the exact details but apparently she had gone to Celtica as an ambassador.

Three days ago, one very battered, bruised, and blood-stained servant had returned with only one working leg, a broken nose, a black eye and dratted news. The envoy with my sister had been ambushed by Wargals in the dead of night once they had crossed over the border.

Mass chaos erupted. The servants and guards fought bravely but they were outnumbered ten to one. The Wargals cut them down like a scythe harvesting wheat. The servant wanted to fight to the death but Cassie told him to warn our father, King Duncan, about the news.

The Wargals were marshalling their forces around the banner of Rain and Night – the flag of Lord Morgorath, sworn archenemy of Araluen. He was a disgruntled baron of Gorlan years ago who led a rebellion against my grandfather.

The uprising was cut down and Lord Morgorath fled back to the Mountains of Rain and Night, so called because they were always dismal, bleak and gloomy. It rained constantly in the Mountains and an eerie, white mist prevailed throughout all seasons.

It was the perfect place to hide since no one would be able to brave the elements let alone packs of Wargals and...worse foes. It was no wonder that I fretted for my sister, my only true friends amongst the stuffy barons and nobles who came to court.

You see, I was short for my age of fifteen and thinner too. I would never last as a knight or any kind of warrior as far as anybody reckoned. Thus, I was a disappointment as prince and firstborn son of King Duncan who had hoped for a strong child as heir to the throne.

So it was that I had taken to ghosting along the many hallways and passages in Castle Araluen. There was one abandoned cellar that I had claimed as my 'den'. I would go there frequently when depressed and lonely.

The darkness helped me in that way. It was so thick and *there* that it was like a companion to me. I would talk to it when lonely and it would answer back in daydreams and visions of the glory and splendour I would earn if I became a knight or some warrior of great prestige and renown.

Sadly, that was not my fate. It was my fate to become a scholar prince and not even a good one at that for I could not sit still for more than half an hour or so. I had a problem of always asking questions (unless I was worried) and this bothered my tutor to no end.

Finally, Marvin realized it would be futile for me to learn anything when the castle was in chaos as the kingdom prepared for war, not to mention my sister missing. I hoped she wasn't dead.

"Fine!" Marvin said suddenly causing me to start. His eyes twinkled knowingly. "You are excused for the day but try not to get in trouble. Also, do not pester your father with questions about Princess Cassandra's disappearance. Your sister is a strong-willed and smart young lass as I ever knew. She will by far be able to take care of herself out there. Why do you think she constantly practiced with that sling of hers?"

I couldn't resist a dry grin as that memory flashed before my eyes. Cassie was always playing around the castle with a crude sling she made by herself. She would sneak up on the castle sentries at night and nock their spears from their hands with a single, smooth pebble. Marvin was right. If anyone could survive Celtica alone it was her even though I hated to admit it.

"Thanks, Marvin," I said, getting up eagerly from my seat.

"No worries," Marvin chuckled. "Just do not let your father get wind of this or it'll be my head next on the chopping block. I was young once too you know!"

"Really?" I asked in mock surprise.

Marvin laughed good-naturedly and stood up, tucking his manuscripts and scrolls under his arm.

"Off with you now!" He said, feigning a stern demeanour. "Never let it be said that the Crown Prince got bored to death under my jurisdiction. It would be the end of my hard-earned reputation."

Grinning, I pulled off the cloak that had rested on the back of my chair and slipped into the grey cloth. Due to its colour, I was able to blend in with my surroundings while I used the shadows to help retain a fairly invisible state of being.

It was a unique habit I developed as I enjoyed walking unseen. Little did I know that I would depend on this and more in the dark days to come and come they would as I set off to enact a secret agenda of my own.

I was fed up with the hulking and incompetent scouts of the kingdom mucking around in Celtica while my sister could be in the iron fist of Morgorath for all anyone knew.

I had to act now while my father was distracted with devising strategy and making preparations for the war to come.

I had to rescue Cassie.

It was a dangerous decision but what did I have to lose?

_**To be Continued in Chapter 2...**_

**Author's Note:** Well, that about sums it up for now. Will should bump into Halt by Chapter 2 and we'll see how the grizzled old Ranger reacts to the Crown Prince running away on a quest of rescue and revenge. Will Halt help him out or hand him over to King Duncan? Looks like you'll have to wait and find out in Chapter 2! R&R please!


	2. An Unexpected Interruption

**Disclaimer:** _Ranger's Apprentice_ does NOT belong to me. No money is being made off of this either but if I get some reviews then that will be reward enough.

**Author's Note:** First of all, I wanted to say to you folks that I am super sorry for the lack of updates. This is due to a vast number of details primarily of which is the fact that I slammed into a Writer's Block which I only just now got out of. It was really just a one-shot plot-bunny that had been attacking me ruthlessly for ages. But now, I finally decided to give another chapter a try and here's the result.

I hope you like it!

**Chapter 2:** An Unexpected Interruption

{Will's POV}

My heart thumped rapidly in my chest as I slunk through the shadows of the woods. It was well past midnight but thanks to a clear sky I was able to see pretty good. As I made my way through the trees and bushes, my thoughts drifted back to what had been plaguing me all the time of late.

It had been two days since my last tuition with old Marvin and to put it plainly, I was out of my mind with worry. Doubts and fears about Cassie being tortured never ceased to haunt me and I could not imagine why dad would just let her go like that.

He would always tell me in a patronizing (what he thought was comforting and sympathetic) tone of voice that it was for the "Greater Good" and that he had to look at the supposedly bigger picture: The imminent war with Morgoroth.

Greater Good my arse!

I didn't know why but I was just so angry. Perhaps it was due to me being such a failure as the Crown Prince of Araluen and not being able to help my sister in her time of need.

I don't know.

But whatever the case, I had to act now while there was time.

You see, dad had just left with a few other important dignitaries and nobles for a big meeting with all the barons of Araluen to plan the upcoming war. Apparently, one of the barons had been killed and the other barons wanted answers.

Rumour had it that the baron was killed in a hunting accident but that sounded far too contrived to me, especially considering the fact that his castle and lands were a critical position that could turn the tide of the war either for or against us.

Naturally, the barons wanted answers. They wanted to know what was going on. Being the Crown Prince (and thanks to my unique skill of slinking about), I hear these things since it's very common place for all the posh and arrogant nobles and ladies at court to gossip about the latest news with no regard for secrecy whatsoever.

But the main thing was that I knew basically what was going on and dad was away providing me with the pristine opportunity to escape. Due to my height (or rather the lack their of) and lanky form, I wasn't so good with sword fighting or even using a lance or one of those huge battle horses.

As a result, the castle duelling trainer had gotten fed up with my lack of learning ability and said I'd have to learn something else. I could have ordered his head on a pike since I'm the Crown Prince but I was too fed up with it all to care, and also this gave me the perfect chance to escape and run away to rescue my sister.

How?

Simple!

I had heard from some travelling knights that the Battle School in a state called Redmont or something was particularly good and they were very famous. Apparently, that's even where the legendary and fabled Ranger Halt lived. I didn't care too much for Rangers or Battle School for that matter.

But this was still a golden opportunity, and so I had seized it promptly. After hearing the news and doing some research my own, I formed a plan and hatched it.

I asked my dad if I could take a few months leave from court to better "train" at the Battle School at Redmont Fief. Dad had been uncertain at first but I was able to convince him with reasoning that being away from home might toughen me up and that having a glimpse at the 'real world' so to speak might make me a better fighter.

If anything, training in a new place and with new people might be far more effective than being stuck in a rut and doing the same old scheme. Needless to say, dad caved and I think he was secretly happy to get me out of his hands since he was worrying about the war and couldn't pay so much attention to me.

He quickly ordered an armed envoy to accompany me to Redmont and our party had set out shortly and I rode with them part way. We had set up camp at a nearby village upon nightfall and I pretended to fall asleep when the rest of the men (except those on guard) did.

Being the Crown Prince, I was lucky enough to have my own quarters in the local inn. There were a few guards outside the hall but I didn't take the front door. Instead, I crept out the window as silent as a mouse and slid onto the roof with ease.

Using my unique skills of climbing and camouflage, I had melted into the shadows and made my way across the roof and leapt nimbly onto an overhanging branch of a nearby tree. I don't want to brag, but climbing, jumping and sneaking were things I was actually good at.

I was rather proud of it too.

Sadly, it was the only thing I could really be proud of. Even then, I should have been ashamed since my dad, the king, would have been horrified to learn of my ability.

I used it often enough at the palace though to evade the court and all those stuffy parties and feasts and balls that were so often held in Cassie's honour, and occasionally mine. Being something of a loner due to being a disappointment to my dad and the court, I had done this frequently so I was now pretty good at it.

I had overcome my shame of it though and now revelled in the power that the shadows gave me. Some might call that a creepy mindset but with that attitude I was able to accomplish far more than if I had been sulking and depressed the whole time.

With that attitude, I was now able to easily sneak past the guards in no time at all and scramble from tree to tree until I was well out of league from them. Once out of sight, I dropped lightly to my feet careful not to fall sloppily and hurt myself or make a loud noise and attract the guard's attention.

The guards were all pretty lax and complacent since they were all itching to be out in the war or "the real world" as they call it. They always grumble to themselves saying cheesy lines like, "My brother (sometimes cousin) is out fighting Wargals and that damn Lord of Rain and Night and what do I get? Guard duty!"

Thus, they don't pay enough attention to me and taking me across the kingdom to some out of the way fief is more like a chore to them. As a result, I was able to sneak away with them none the wiser and made for a small hunting lodge a short ways away.

There, I had arranged for one of my friends to saddle a horse and give me the needed supplies and weapons to make good on my escape and rescue my sister.

My friend was a common stable boy who I often hung out with. He always loved a good prank and would crack the most scandalous of jokes (much to my delight at seeing all the stuffy nobles bulk in shock and horror at them) and would get me in way too much trouble since I'd usually join him as his 'partner in crime.'

We'd sneak into the castle kitchen and steal pastries or set male and female rabbits in the royal study. They'd bound away and make a nest there and have heaps of babies, causing no end of trouble to the servants. Once, we even let a goat into the court room (although we made sure to stay well hidden) and laughed uproariously afterwards as the poor goat ran amuck bleating in panic causing many posh ladies and arrogant lords to shriek in terror and scream like little girls.

Derrick, the stable boy, had agreed to assist me in what he called the latest prank yet (and I think he also has a secret crush on my sister much to my amusement) and help me rescue my sister. His job in all of this was to smuggle me a good disguise, supplies, weapons, and a smaller horse to the hunting lodge. Since he looks a little like me and can with a good disguise, he'd trade places with me and pretend to be me providing me with enough time to escape.

I gave him a royal decree signed by myself stating that it was on my orders otherwise impersonating the Crown Prince was a crime punishable by death or life-long imprisonment (usually death though). Needless to say, Derrick was thrilled at this golden opportunity especially since he could get away from home and see another Fief. The Battle School there was legendary but I just wanted to get away and rescue my sister.

So it was, that I finally made my way to the cabin. It was dark, but judging by the position of the stars I could tell that there were only a few hours of the night left so I had to escape quickly or else our plan would fail miserably and we'd both get in trouble. Unable to quell the butterflies in my stomach, I felt a thrill of excitement rush through me as I softly opened the door to the cabin.

It was dark inside but that was okay, since I didn't really need light to do anything pretty much. Besides, light would only attract the guards thus running our plan before it even started! Suddenly, I was jolted out of my daze by the whinnying of a horse. For a moment, I panicked and spun around. Craning my neck at an odd angle, I glanced outside and sighed in relief to see a small horse, practically a pony, tethered outside.

I grinned smugly to myself and could not resist the pride I felt in how well our plan was working out. Taking a deep breath and relaxing my tense muscles, I stepped calmly inside and scanned the one-room cabin. There was a small bed with a fur blanket on it in one corner, a worn wooden cupboard, a few barrels and a small round table with two chairs. A cooking pot hung over an empty hearth and black smoke drifted up from dying embers in it.

Nodding in satisfaction, I glanced around for Derrick and found him wrapped in a thick dark cloak and sitting on a chair by the window. He was holding a cup of steaming hot coffee in his hands. Oddly enough though, there was a formidable-looking longbow at his side and a quiver full of arrows. I frowned in confusion and wondered why on earth he'd bring that, unless it was the weapon with which to rescue Cassie.

Heaving a sigh, I approached him with a slow grin.

"Evening, Derrick," I said mischievously. "Thanks for bringing the gear, run into any trouble along the way?"

But the voice that came from the figure sitting on the chair was not Derrick's but someone else's, causing me to freeze in shock and disbelief as the person spoke.

"Actually, your friend Derrick did run into a little trouble on his way here," The stranger said gruffly. "But don't worry, I won't report him so long as you come quickly and quietly with me no questions asked."

My heart pounded wildly in my chest and my mind screamed bloody murder. I wanted to run away as fast as I could and wanted to punch the stranger in the face. Who was he? And what had he done to Derrick? Had he found out and reported to dad for a sum of gold?

"Who are you and what do you want?" I asked hastily, my voice cracking.

The stranger pulled the hood slowly off of his face and my eyes bulged in shock as I recognized the face beneath it and discovered who it really was that sat before me.

"Greetings, Crown Prince," The stranger said softly. "My name is Halt, Halt the Ranger."

**To Be Continued!  
**

**A/N:** So...what do you think? Bad? Poor? Okay? Good? Excellent? I think it'll be one of the first three but I would appreciate your thoughts on this chapter so that I know what needs work on. Once again, I am also awfully sorry for the lack of updates and promise I will try to update this as much as possible. I have just been playing Skyrim lately so updates might be slow. Also, that's where the edited quote came from.

(The guards in Skyrim who say, "My cousin/brother's out fighting dragons and what do I get? Guard duty!") I thought it was really funny and too good to resist. Anyhow, that's about all for now but more will come in future chapters so do stay tuned. Also, rest assured that there will be absolutely NO slash and most definitely canon couples. It may take a while but they'll get there eventually. But enough rambling, I have to go now so I'll let you review and try to write a new chapter soon.

Bye for now!


	3. Of Ruses and Rangers

**Disclaimer:** I do not own this epic novel series, but am more than happy to simply play around in John Flanagan's sandbox. All rights belong to him, and I make no money off this.

**Author's Note:** First of all, I wanted to thank each and every-one of you for reviewing and I also want to thank ProwlingWhiteTigress for agreeing to Beta-Read this fanfic. Also, I just wanted to say that this is a severe AU rewrite fanfic so, as you will soon find out, lots will be different but things will eventually come together. I think I will have canon couples though, eventually, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. For now, read and review, I really do appreciate it!

**Author's Note 2:** Oops! After reading the chapter briefly, I realized that I had switched from first person to second (or third) person or whatever you call it. Don't know what hit me but I usually type pretty fast so I must have forgotten how I was writing it. Do excuse my scatterbrained antics, and I'll try to change that in the next chapter which should come soon by the way. Until then, R&R please!

**Chapter 3:** Of Ruses and Rangers

When Will had finally wrapped his mind around who had just spoken to him, he quickly slipped on a well-practiced mask of impassiveness, revealing no emotion whatsoever. It was well-practiced due to receiving all of those disappointed looks from his father and the other members of the court, his tutors and castle staff included.

Due to all the lectures he received for his pranks and all the reprimands he received for being a failure as the heir to the throne, Will was now very good at hiding his emotions under a faceless mask that most people had now come to frequently associate with him.

But inwardly, he sighed. What had he done this time? What had he done to interest, or worse yet _upset,_ a King's Ranger? The Ranger in front of him was a war hero and would understand just exactly why Will was so hell-bent on rescuing his sister.

She was one of the main reasons why he was able to stay sane in court, because of her friendship and acceptance. It could be that she was slightly short too and had a fiery temper, not caring what other people thought of her. But whatever the case, she was the only person who was able to calm Will down and keep him sane.

Will never knew his mother, she had died in childbirth. And his father, well King Duncan was a good king but he was just that: A king. He might actually love and care about his children, but Will didn't know that. His father was too busy with the court and the damnable war to bother with them.

It was almost as if they were an extra burden and that King Duncan would rather them not be around so he could focus on the "more important" things. That was the reason why Will found himself calling Duncan "king" or "sire" instead of father. It was rude and disrespectful but Duncan hardly paid any attention to them so he didn't really seem to care.

So that brought Will back to the present. Why was the Ranger here and why had he stopped Will? Sure Will would get in big trouble back home but it was nothing he couldn't weasel his way out of. More importantly, Halt was the Ranger assigned to Redmont Fief where he was supposed to be going.

Heaving an inward sigh, Will steeled himself and asked the obvious question.

"Once again, why are you here?" He drawled, now feeling more impatient than shocked and alarmed.

Halt's eyes twinkled in amusement and it looked like he was smiling, almost. But all thoughts of Halt's demeanour quickly vanished when Will heard the Ranger's next statement.

"I am going to make you into a Ranger," Halt said simply, taking a deep reverent sip from his coffee mug.

Will simply stared at him, now completely caught off-guard and nearly losing his impassive stance.

"I beg your pardon?" He finally managed. "How can you just say that like you know it is going to happen? How can you simply think I will walk away with you when you and I both know very well that I have far more important things to attend to? Besides, I am the Crown Prince of Araluen and I could have your head on a pike for that if I wanted to."

Halt chuckled.

"I like your spirit boy," He said. "But that's got to change or it will get you killed. You can't simply walk into Celtica or wherever that damned Morgoroth has taken the princess. You aren't a warrior and can barely even pick up a sword without tripping over it, or am I wrong?"

Will could only hang his head in embarrassment. Halt had seen right through him!

"You will just get into even more trouble," Halt continued, although a tad bit gentler this time. "And drive your father out of his mind with worry."

"That's a load of bullocks!" Will spat. "My _father_ doesn't care a damn about me or Cassie, or he would have at least send a scouting mission after her. How can you say something like that?"

Will was shocked into silence, though, when Halt began glaring at him sternly, making the young prince shuffle his feet nervously, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

"You have no idea how much your father wants to have his daughter back in his arms," Halt said softly, a distant look in his eyes. "But if he sends a patrol of armed men into Celtica that will only alert whoever captured her. It will only put the princess in more danger due to her captor knowing that we are in on their plot and acting likewise.

"That would just put her more at risk. In addition, you tromping in there, untrained and inexperienced, would just be handing the enemy another bargaining chip and more trouble than the king can rightly deal with at the time. Besides, how do you know that his Majesty is not already doing something about his daughter's disappearance?"

Will rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, his face red from embarrassment at Halt's chastisement.

"I guess you are right," He sighed. "It is just so frustrating that I can't be of any help to my sister let alone Araluens' effort in the war. I just get in the way and my desire to be of use and get my sister back drove me into action. Dad will most likely have my hide when he finds out about this."

"Who says he has to?" Halt asked mischievously.

"What do you mean?" Will asked sharply, his brow furrowing in suspicion.

Halt took another sip of his coffee, swallowed and explained.

"You were going to train at the Redmont Battleschool, yes?" He asked rhetorically.

"Yes, what of it?" Will asked guardedly, not too sure if he liked where this was going.

"Then our plan is simple," Halt said casually. "Since you do not seem to have the knightly qualities or even those of a swordsman, no offence Crown Prince, then I shall make you a Ranger."

"What?" Will asked, now completely floored.

He had not seen that one coming!

"A Ranger," Halt said, his voice filled with amusement. "I shall make you the youngest King's Ranger of all time. The only difference is that I will keep your being a Ranger a secret."

"What? Why?" Will asked, feeling affronted. "If I am to become one of you 'sorcerers' then why should I keep my true self hidden?"

"No offence, Crown Prince," Halt chuckled. "But you know how your royal father would react to you becoming one of us, or rather how the rest of the court would react. It would be a scandal."

Will heaved a sigh and sat down on the ground, hugging his knees to his chest. What Halt was saying was true. The common people of Araluen frequently viewed all Rangers with distrust and suspicion. This was because Rangers kept their operations and espionage missions a secret and maintained an ominous and foreboding countenance to enhance their power and control.

They weren't evil by any means. In fact, they strove to keep the peace and guard the kingdom. They were more like spies though, but the King's personal spies and were second only to him. Not too many people knew this though and Will even wondered if his sister knew. He only knew of this because of all the tuitions he was forced to endure as a part of his princely upbringing.

Since he would one day lay claim to the Throne, he would have to control the Rangers. Well, not control them really, more like approve and disapprove of their missions and give them permission to do whatever they needed so long as it was well within the law of the land and for the good of the kingdom. So far, there hadn't been any hiccups with this system and it worked very well.

"So you think this will cause conflict with my father and the other Rangers?" Will asked, starting to see where Halt was getting at. "Also, what would the other Rangers think? I doubt they have ever had a prince among their ranks before."

"Too true," Halt replied with a shake of his head. "That and also the court would not understand that being a Ranger is something you'd be good at unlike a knight. However, if you become a Ranger and I get the king to give his consent, then it would be the perfect secret weapon."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Will protested, holding his hands up in confusion. "Secret weapon? Just what are we talking about here?"

"I beg your pardon, prince," Halt sighed. "I was getting ahead of myself. Let's get back to our original plan, shall we?"

Will nodded dubiously.

"Right then," Halt said. "The idea is that you want to rescue your sister, yes?"

Will nodded fervently.

"Then becoming a Ranger would give you the skill and tools needed to accomplish the task," Halt explained. "It would also give us the upper-hand against whoever captured your sister. They would never dare to suspect the Crown Prince of Araluen to become a Ranger in secret. This would give us the element of surprise against our enemy and a new member to the clan. So what do you say?"

"Let me get this straight," Will said slowly. "You want me to become a Ranger in secret, even from the rest of the guild, but still go to rescue Cassie? How would we do that exactly? How can we fool people?"

In answer, Halt merely nodded in gesture to the corner of the room. Will wrinkled his brow in confusion and glanced in the specified direction.

"Evening Will," Said a familiar voice. "Run into any trouble on the road?"

Will watched in stunned disbelief as what looked like himself stepping out of a mirror approached him from the shadows. It was his exact form dressed in his clothes...almost. Being himself and not having an identical twin, Will knew who that could possibly be.

"Derrick?" The poor prince asked in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm a part of the plan," The stable hand explained with a grin. "I'm going to switch places with you, epic or what?"

Will could only nod as his befuddled brain tried to wrap itself around what was going on.

"So Derrick is going to pretend to be me during Battleschool training while I am secretly practicing to be a Ranger to prepare to rescue Cassie?" Will asked incredulously. "How the heck are we going to pull that off? It sounds adventurous no doubt but pretty unbelievable."

Halt chuckled and Derrick smirked.

"I have a contact who has helped us secretly on some of our top missions," Halt revealed roguishly. "He would be more than willing to help us master the disguise and would consider it the most epic prank in the world. All you have to do is show up in between classes for meals and other things to get people to believe the act."

"Then I'll take your place during Battleschool," Derrick said dreamily. "Imagine, me – a knight!"

Will could only shake his head at the notion of it all.

"You wish," He snorted.

"Hey!" Derrick protested in mock hurt. "I'm really going out on a limb here, I am."

"So," Halt cut in. "Are you willing to take on this task to rescue your sister, your Highness?"

Will didn't hesitate, wanting to help in anyway possible. Besides, this opportunity was too good to pass up.

"Let's do this thing!" He grinned, feeling a rush of excitement.

Halt nodded and stood up.

"Good, but you should return to camp and get some sleep," The grizzled old Ranger admonished. "We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow and many more to come. I doubt you will get much rest tonight but you at least have to convince the guards you slept in your room before the sun comes up."

"Alright," Will said reluctantly. "See you tomorrow, Derrick."

"Bye, Will," Derrick grinned, giving his friend a one-armed hug.

Will turned to leave but paused just as he was about to close the door.

"Halt?" He asked, causing the Ranger to divert his gaze to him from the window.

"Yes?" Halt asked curiously.

"Thanks," Will replied.

The Crown Prince turned to leave, his mind churning with plans, hopes and dreams. But if he had glanced back one more time, he might have seen Halt smile sadly, a look of true regret in his eyes.

**To Be Continued!**


End file.
